HVAC is short for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. HVAC is most often used to depict the whole heating and cooling system consisting of the duct work, air filters, humidification controls, and registers.

Locate the label on the outer surface of the equipment for a manufacture date. If the equipment is less than five years old it may have a warranty, but also may not be based on the model. Warranty terms and conditions change by manufacturer and the installing company. Controlled Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning can verify the warranty status of your heating and cooling system via System Inspection.

There are an abundance of possibilities that can cause your HVAC system to freeze up; almost all of them usually need to be corrected by a professional technician. Determining the air filter is clean or replaced and making sure the airflow is not restricted are about the only tasks a homeowner should safely identify or handle them self.

•Low refrigerant: In some cases, freezing up is initiated by a leak in the refrigerant lines. Weak solder joints, friction from piping rubbing or vibrating against an object, leaking valves or loose fittings can cause leaks. The length of time your system has been installed and the nature and location of the leak are the determining factors on whether to have the system repaired or replaced.

•Dirty evaporator coil: Over time, the evaporator coil will become dirty. On these occasions, the results are similar to those of having a dirty filter. Gradually you will lose airflow, slowly enough that you probably would not realize it until it freezes up or is not cooling adequately. You will need to contact your local Service Experts sales and service center to remedy the problem.

•Defective blower motor or relay: A blower motor running at an improper speed or not running at all can cause freezing. It can also be sporadic, starting at full speed and slowing down after it heats up. Or a relay could cause it to start one time and not the next. In either case, you will need to contact your local Service Experts sales and service center to correct the problem.

Should you discover that your system was freezing due to a dirty air filter, after replacing or cleaning the filter, you can hasten the thawing process by turning the system off and then turning on only the fan. If you have a heat pump system, you can try turning the system to heating mode until the ice has melted. After the ice has melted, switch the system settings back to normal. If the system refreezes, contact Controlled Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning to solve the problem.

How often to change your air filters can depend on several factors:

• The type of air filter you are using

• The overall indoor air quality

• How many pets are in the home

• The number of people occupying the home, and

• The level of air pollution and construction around the home

• For basic 1″-3″ air filters, manufacturers usually say to change them every 30-60 days. If you suffer from light to moderate allergies, you could upgrade the air filter or change them even more. Or, if you’re in a more remote area or less occupied home (like a vacation home) and there are fewer cars around, annually may be quite sufficient enough.

Here are some general guidelines to common rules to help you know how often you should change the air filter at home:

• Vacation home or single occupant and no pets or allergies: every 6-12 months

• “Average” suburban home without pets: every 90 days

• Add a dog or cat: every 60 days

• Add more than one pet or anyone has allergies: 20-45 days

You probably wouldn’t get a brand-new car and assume to never have to inflate the tires, change the oil and examine any atypical noises. Your home comfort system is similar to your car’s engine, it’s a mechanical device with a motor, electrical components… and even fuel. So it is essential to have routine maintenance of your home comfort system by a qualified technician. If not maintained properly and routinely, even the best heating and air conditioning equipment could experience complications and become less ‘fuel’ efficient over time. Additionally regular maintenance can extend the life of your HVAC system

Absolutely. Exposure to air pollutants can be up to 100 times higher indoors than outdoors. The American Lung Association estimates that most people spend 90 percent of their time indoors, making indoor air quality (IAQ) important for homeowners to know about. Many common household items contribute to poor indoor air quality. Compounds found in carpeting, furniture, upholstery and drapery fabric constantly emit fumes. Other sources of pollutants can include cleaning agents, paints and personal care products. The tight construction of today’s homes also contributes significantly to poor IAQ. Things like weather stripping and storm doors are designed to save on energy costs. However, they also prevent proper ventilation by keeping indoor air in and outdoor air out. The result can be a buildup of contaminants within the home.

Poor IAQ can be a direct or indirect cause of several health problems. Medical groups report that as many as half of all illnesses are caused or aggravated by indoor air pollution. Pollutants within the home can cause homeowners to suffer from flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea and respiratory irritation. As well, two existing health problems that can be helped by improving indoor air quality are allergies and asthma. By removing airborne dust particles, the amount of exposure the respiratory system has to them is reduced. Proper ventilation also plays an important role in improving indoor air quality, helping to reduce the concentration of pollutants inside the home.

With energy costs climbing, there are a few steps you can take to help reduce the expenses of heating and cooling your home. HVAC equipment usually uses more energy than any other appliance in the home. This inevitably shows up every month on utility costs each month, but it’s important to remember that energy costs can be controlled in several ways.

Maintenance: One method to control energy costs is to schedule annual maintenance to help be sure that your furnace and air conditioner is running properly and efficiently. Operating dirty heating or cooling equipment can result in unnecessary loss of efficiency and may even damage the unit.

High Efficiency: If you are in the market for a new home comfort system, consider investing in a high-efficiency system. They are designed to help reduce your energy costs as well as help conserve natural resources. When selecting a new home comfort system, pay close attention to the SEER rating of the air conditioner and the AFUE of the furnace. The higher the SEER or AFUE, the higher the efficiency and savings.

Zoning: Zoning can dramatically lower your heating costs. Zoning divides your home into separate comfort areas, which are heated or cooled based on the occupancy of the rooms. That means a zoning system allows each room in your home to potentially have its own temperature setting. With a zoning system, you no longer pay to heat or cool the space of your home that are rarely used, and you can have the exact temperature you want in highly occupied rooms.

Programmable Thermostats: Programmable thermostats can make a big difference in energy consumption. Since you can proactively set a schedule for the days and times that the home is occupied, these thermostats are able to deliver exact comfort, efficiency and energy savings. For example, if you’re going to be away, you can set the whole house at an energy-saving temperature to avoid heating or cooling an empty house and conserving energy in the process.

Charging a flat rate cost instead of an hourly cost provides more value for our customers because everything is included, the pricing is up-front, and it does not adjust. Regardless of the cost of parts or amount of time it takes to make the repairs, the price will not change. This is just one of the many ways we put customers first.

A Service Call fee is a fee for the expense associated with the time and travel to diagnose, inspect and provide expert recommendations for a home’s heating amd/or air conditioning system by a certified professional technician. At Controlled Comfort we offer one of the lowest Service Call fees in the valley. We know maintaining your HVAC can be expensive and we will always try to keep the costs down for our great customers.